Before My Time is about the ancestry and extended family of my four grandparents: John Samuel Krentz (Indiana/North Dakota), Margreta Tjode Hedwig (Gertie) Buss (North Dakota), Rosmer Pettis Kerr (Pennsylvania/Michigan), and Evelyn Elvina Hauer (Michigan), and other topics in genealogy and family history.

Archives, Labels (tags), and other links appear at the bottom of the page.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

...well, actually, I've understated the count. In fact, the name Joseph appears no less than nine times in my pedigree chart, and twenty of my grannies were given the name Mary or Maria (not to mention Maryanne, Marybelle, and Marrayetia). But there is only one Immanuel--Hinrich Immanuel Behm to be exact, my fifth great-grandfather, born in April of 1725.

In total, there are more than 300 given names (counting both first and middle names) in my pedigree chart. Variety-wise, I was surprised to find that more than 100 different names were represented.

Other Biblically-named grandparents include:

A Joshua, a Gabriel, and five guys named Josiah,

A Benjamin, Ezekiel, and two named Jeremiah,

Micajah and two Peters, and two more named Elijah,

Nine grandpas known as Samuel and one as Jedediah.

And that's just the boys! Among the grandmas, there were four Ruths, three Deborahs, two Sarahs and a Naomi.

Those Puritans had Desire, Freedom, and Experience. And one of them was Thankful.

Grandpas with regal names include:

Alexander and Edward (one apiece)

David, George and Ludwig (two of each)

James (4)

Richard (half a dozen of those)

11 Williams

and a full dozen Henrys... Henries?... whatever!

There are two Ferdinands, and that's no bull.

Regally named grandmothers include half a dozen Annes, two Eleanors, nine Katharines, and a whopping twenty-one Elizabeths (the most popular girl's name in my pedigree chart).

Johns? There must be one of those in every family, isn't there? I have at least a dozen, along with seven Johanns, two Joans, and a Jonathan. On the distaff side, there are half a dozen Johannas and two Janes.

There are seven Roberts, and twice as many Thomases. I'm surprised that's not the other way around.

There's an August, but no April, May, or June.

I have a Russell in my chart--just one--my father. Russell is not a particularly common given name, but my children have two in their charts. Both of their grandfathers are Russells. Oddly, my daughter's husband also has both grandfathers sharing the same first name (Robert). And my daughter and her husband both have a paternal Uncle Gary. (My daughter's father grew up on a street named Hilldale, and her husband's father grew up on a street named Hillsdale. Although that has nothing to do with the given names in my pedigree chart, it certainly is a funny little addition to their list of odd similarities.)

Tryphena, Elvina, and Herman were handed down, but only once (at least in my direct lineage).

Dorcas, Lubbert, and Balthasar weren't handed down at all. Just as well!

But I did get two Valentines!

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Today is your last chance to post for Jasia's 100th Carnival of Genealogy. The prompt is "There's one in every family!" and it's wide open to your own interpretation. The goal for this very special celebration is 100 posts (or more!), so write on! You have until midnight, Hawaii time, to join the fun!

As usual, this great COG poster was created by footnoteMaven. Thanks so much, fM, for sharing 100 fabulous COG posters with us over the years! Readers, don't miss fM's post for this carnival, "We're Still Having Fun, & You're Still the One." She's expressed perfectly what so many of us feel about Jasia and the Carnival.

A great blog post for the season! Actually, Joshua is the same as Jesus. I just counted up all the Jesuses in my husband's family tree (from Spain) and there were nine- including his first cousin! Too many Marias and Josés to count!

Our Family in Books: A Bibliography

My Ancestors in Books (a library of resources and notes pertaining to Reverend Samuel Stone, Major General Robert Sedgwick, Elder John Crandall, and other early Americans in the forest where my family tree was grown)

History of St. James Lutheran Church [full title: A little of this and a little of that in the 141 year (1861-2002) History of St. James Lutheran Church, Reynolds Indiana] by Harold B. Dodge, published at Reynolds, Indiana, 2002; 170 pages.

Lisbon, North Dakota 1880-2005 Quasuicentennial, published at Lisbon, North Dakota in 2005; 391 pages.